Patients who received kidney transplants and those patients who are on dialysis have 2.5 times increased risk of dying due to cancer than individuals without kidney failure, finds a population-based study. The tumors present in the individuals before dialysis are the main drivers for cancer in dialysis patients. But, for kidney transplant recipients, cancers that arise after the transplantation procedure are the main perpetrators for cancer death in them.
A new study indicates that individuals with kidney failure, such as those undergoing dialysis and those who have received kidney transplants, experience higher risks of dying from cancer than people in the general population. The Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) findings point to the need for additional research to clarify the mechanisms involved in the development of cancer in kidney failure patients, and to improve cancer care in this at-risk population.
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Individuals with kidney failure who are on dialysis or who receive kidney transplants face an elevated risk for developing cancer; however, few studies have assessed the death rates due to cancer in these patients. To investigate, Eric Au, MBBS (University of Sydney) and his colleagues compared the rates of cancer-related mortality in dialysis patients and kidney transplant recipients with rates in the general population.
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• Over 10 years, mortality rates from cancer were 6.1% and 4.5% in dialysis and transplant patients, respectively. Both patients on dialysis and those who received transplants experienced over 2.5-times higher risks of cancer death than age- and sex-matched individuals in the general population (2.6-times higher for dialysis patients and 2.7-times higher for transplant recipients).
• Women and younger patients experienced especially high risks compared with the general population.
• In dialysis patients, the main driver for cancer death was from cancers that were present prior to starting dialysis.
• In transplant patients, cancer deaths were mainly driven by cancers that arose after transplantation, particularly cancers relating to immune deficiency and viral infection. This may relate to the long-term immunosuppressive drugs that patients are required to take after receiving an organ transplant.
"Results from this study will assist clinicians and researchers in understanding the patterns of cancer-related mortality in dialysis and transplant patients," said Dr. Au. "Further research may help us understand which patients are particularly at risk of cancer and the reasons why they have higher chances of dying from cancer."
Source: Eurekalert
Chronic Renal Failure
Chronic renal failure or chronic kidney disease is progressive loss in kidney function. The change is irreversible and is due to loss of nephrons of the kidney.
 DialysisDialysis is an artificial process for removing excess water and waste from the blood. Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are the types of dialysis. | Advertisement
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